Today's News

HILLSVILLE — Hiring one new employee to oversee both Carroll tourism and recreation is about reaching out, county officials say.
It’s about outreach to new segments of Carroll citizens and to people who may want to visit the county and participate in local events, according to Assistant Administrator Nikki Shank.
There’s also a practical benefit, such as having only one department head instead of two.

FRIES — Four full-time Fries employees will lose their health insurance effective June 1.
At the Feb. 7 Fries Town Council meeting, Vice Mayor Nancy Hawks made a motion — due, she said, to the town’s financial situation — to eliminate all town employees’ health insurance and to supplement each employee's salary by $250 per month.
Even with the pay increase, the elimination of health insurance would save the town $18,000 a year.

Made us proud
The special section of The Gazette on March 16 was a great recognition of local high school sports teams, coaches and support staff. The honors are certainly deserved as the teams have worked long, hard hours on the court. But also, in the classroom, as most of these students are also listed on the honor roll page for Galax High School. You make us proud. Congratulations to all.

Follow the money.
When it comes to Virginia’s gasoline tax, that’s one foggy trail.
A debate about the state’s gas tax has triggered a fresh round of questions:
Why hasn’t the tax — a key source of road money — been raised in 25 years, a time span exceeded only by Alaska?
And why, if Virginia has the seventh-lowest gas tax in the nation, are our pump prices in the middle of the pack?
The answers are more relevant than ever.

INDEPENDENCE — The controversial trash fee was a topic of discussion at the Grayson County Board of Supervisors’ budget work session this month.
Chairman David Sexton made a motion to discontinue the fee-to-tax approach for revenue collection as previously discussed, and to discontinue the coupon system and the collection-site approach for solid waste collection services.
Mike Maynard seconded the motion, which passed by a unanimous vote.

Galax Police Chief Rick Clark says he is still haunted by a young man who fell through the cracks of society, despite efforts to help him turn his life around.
A kid full of potential, he unfortunately got involved with drugs and ended up in prison.
Troubled youth like this are the people that the Galax Police Department and other Galax agencies hope to help over the next two years with a $250,000 grant to create mentoring and apprenticeship programs.